Skip to Main Content

Artwork Page for Statue of Gudea

Details / Information for Statue of Gudea

Statue of Gudea

c. 2144–2124 BCE
This object has related works. See
dolerite
Overall: 126 x 55 x 36 cm (49 5/8 x 21 5/8 x 14 3/16 in.)
Weight: 300.731 kg (663 lbs.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1963.154
Location: 100 1916 Lobby
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Print

Did You Know?

Twice in the 20th century, this headless figure was wrongly "completed" with the head 1963.680, which comes from a similar sculpture.

Description

This headless figure’s clasped hands create a distinctive gesture that recurs frequently on more than 30 recorded statues of the Mesopotamian ruler Gudea. Between c. 2144–2124 BCE, Gudea ruled as ensi (governor) of the city-state of Lagash, located in modern-day Iraq. Scholars have identified more than 2,400 inscriptions that describe his reign, which included patronage of the arts and an extensive building program. Statues like this one would have been placed in temples as stand-ins for Gudea himself, demonstrating his devotion and piety.
Statue of Gudea

Statue of Gudea

c. 2144–2124 BCE

Mesopotamia, Neo-Sumerian, Iraq, Girsu

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.